According to a report in The New York Times, China’s Ministry of State Security has recruited Alice Huang, an executive at the AI-focused firm Megaspeed, to collect intelligence on Nvidia’s chief executive Jensen Huang. The recruitment was disclosed in an article published on November 6, 2026, and marks the latest alleged attempt by Beijing to infiltrate the United States’ advanced-chip sector.
The New York Times says the MSS enlisted her to obtain details about American AI chips and, if possible, to sway Nvidia toward releasing its most sophisticated products to the Chinese market. Such a strategy would give Beijing access to technology that underpins high-performance computing and generative-AI workloads, according to the newspaper’s description of the operation.
Megaspeed counts Nvidia among its customers, positioning the firm at the intersection of hardware procurement and chip design. The report adds that Alice Huang maintains connections with senior figures across the AI-chip ecosystem, including executives at Gigabyte, a major motherboard and graphics-card manufacturer. Those ties, the article suggests, could facilitate the flow of proprietary information to Chinese intelligence services.
Earlier coverage by the same newspaper described Jensen and Alice Huang’s relationship as “close,” despite the lack of any familial link. The article notes that former President Donald Trump, who has expressed personal affinity for Jensen Huang, was briefed on the connection last year but did not pursue any further action. The earlier piece framed the situation as part of a broader Chinese espionage campaign targeting U.S. technology firms.
In response to the revelations, three congressional committees convened a joint, closed-door session and issued a subpoena for Jensen Huang to testify about his dealings with Alice Huang. The request, made “yesterday” according to the report, reflects growing legislative concern over potential foreign influence on critical semiconductor supply chains. Lawmakers indicated the briefing would focus on any attempts to compromise Nvidia’s strategic decisions.
If the allegations prove accurate, the episode could intensify scrutiny of U.S. chip firms’ foreign-customer relationships and prompt tighter export controls on next-generation AI hardware. Analysts cited in the article warn that Chinese intelligence operations targeting senior industry figures may undermine confidence in the global supply chain, potentially prompting companies to reassess partnerships with entities linked to foreign governments.